Seat positioning mechanism



Dec. 31, 1968 R HOMER ET AL 3,419,306

SEAT POSITIONING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 8. 1966 INVENTORS 306422 hbmz'ez Raymond C Posh [Z y j United States Patent 3,419,306 r SEAT POSITIONING MECHANISM Robert I. Homier, Farmington, and Raymond C. Posh, Livonia, Mich., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Lear Siegler Inc., Santa Monica, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 600,156 11 Claims. (Cl. 297-375) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A positioning mechanism including a housing with a rod slidably disposed for movement into and out of the housing. A sleeve is disposed in sliding engagement with the rod for movement only axially along the rod. The sleeve is keyed to the housing so that the sleeve cannot rotate about the axis of the rod relative to the housing or relative to the rod. The sleeve has a surface which is inclined at an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the rod. A plurality of discs are disposed about the rod and are normally biased into a canted position where they are in frictional gripping engagement with the rod, the discs being biased into the canted position by the inclined surface of the sleeve. The sleeve is in turn forced against the discs by a spring which is disposed between the sleeve and the end of the rod. There is also included a control lever which is pivotally connected to the housing and extends through an opening in the housing to engage Various positioning mechanisms which may be utilized to control the reclining movement of a seat back frame are known in the prior art. One of the problems associated with the prior art positioning mechanisms which provide the operating characteristic wherein the positioning mechanism may be manually actuated to move the seat back frame in either direction and yet allows the seat back frame to be moved from a reclining position toward the upright position without actuating the positioning mechanism, is that they include numerous components which are frequently expensive and difiicult to manufacture.

Accordingly, it is an object and feature of this invention to provide an improved and/or alternative positioning mechanism which utilizes a minimum number of components and is adapted for operatively interconnecting a seat frame and a seat back frame so that the seat back frame may be pivoted relative to the seat frame in either direction upon actuation of the positioning mechanism and whereby the seat back frame may be pivoted from a reclined position toward the upright position without manual actuation of the positioning mechanism.

3,419,306 Patented Dec. 31, 1968 Another object and feature of this invention is to provide a novel and unique positioning mechanism which includes a rod slidably disposed for movement into and out of a housing and a plurality of discs disposed about the rod and normally biased into a canted position by a sleeve means slidably disposed on the rod and biased into engagement with the disc by a spring disposed between the end of the rod and the sleeve.

Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 discloses a seat assembly including a preferred embodiment of the positioning mechanism of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the positioning mechanism illustrated in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the discs of the instant invention in the canted position to prevent relative movement between the rod and the housing of the positioning mechanism of the instant invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the discs in the non-canted position to allow relative movement between the rod and the housing of the positioning mechanism of the instant invention.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a seat assembly is generally shown at 10. The seat assembly comprises a seat frame 12, a seat back frame 14, and means including the intermediate frame 16 for pivotally connecting the seat back frame 14 to the seat frame 12 to allow the seat back frame 14 to pivot relative to the seat frame 12 between an upright position (shown in full lines in FIGURE 1) and various reclined positions (one of which is shown in phantom in FIGURE 1).

A preferred embodiment of the positioning mechanism of the instant invention is generally shown at 18. The positioning mechanism includes a first member comprising the housing 20 and a second member comprising the rod 22. The housing 20 and rod 22 are adapted for linear movement in opposite directions relative t one another.

There is also included friction means comprising the discs 24 which operatively engage the housing at 26 and are movable to a first position illustrated in FIGURE 4 where they are in frictional gripping engagement with the rod 22 for preventing relative movement between the rod 22 and the housing 20.

A sleeve means 28 is disposed in sliding engagement with the rod 22 so that the sleeve means 28 is movable solely in a linear direction relative to the rod 22. The friction means 28 includes a planar surface 30 which is disposed at an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the rod 22 and engages the discs 24 only on one side of the rod 22. The housing 20 is crimped inwardly at 32 so as to be disposed in a slot in the sleeve means 28 thereby keying the sleeve means 28 to the housing 20 so that the sleeve means 28 is prevented from rotating relative thereto about the axis of the rod 22 but is free to move relative to the rod 22 and the housing in a direction axially of the rod 22.

There is also included a biasing means comprising the spring 34 which is operatively connected to the rod 22 and reacts against the sleeve means 28 for urging the discs 24 into the canted position illustrated in FIGURE 4. The spring 34, however, allows the discs 24 to move to the canted position illustrated in FIGURE 5 whereby the rod 22 may move relative to the housing in a first direction into the housing in response to a predetermined force being applied to urge such movement. The spring 34 is disposed about the rod 22 and is retained thereon by a retaining means comprising the Washers 35 and the pin 37. Thus, the spring 34 reacts between the washers 3S and a shoulder on the sleeve means 28.

As noted above, normally the discs 24 are in engagement with the housing 20 at 26 on one side :of the rod 22 and are in engagement with the sleeve means 28 on the opposite side of the rod 22 so that the discs 24 are canted relative to the longitudinal axis of the rod 22 as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The housing 20 includes a plug-like member 36 which is secured in place by the crimping or swaging at 38 and includes a projection 40 for contacting the discs 24 at 26. The housing 20 also includes a stop means 42 which is provided 'by the end of the crimped portion 32. The stop means 42 limits movement of the discs 24 relative to the housing 20 to move the discs from the canted position illustrated in FIGURE 4 to the noncanted position illustrated in FIGURE 5 when the rod 22 is urged to move into the housing 20 in response to a predetermined force. When the rod 22 is forced into the housing 20, the discs 24 move to the position illustrated in FIGURE 5 to allow the rod 22 to continue to move into the housing 20 until the force is removed from the rod 22 whereby the discs 24 return to the canted position illustrated in FIGURE 4.

There is also included a control means comprising the lever which is pivotally mounted on the housing by way of the bracket 52 and the bolt 54. The lever 50 extends through an opening in the housing 20 and is engageable with the discs 24 as shown in FIGURE 5 for selectively moving the discs 24 from the canted position to the noncanted position whereby the rod 22 may move relative to the housing 20 in either direction. The lever 50 may be actuated by any appropriate lever means such as the lever indicated in phantom in FIGURE 2.

The housing 20 may be attached to a seat back frame by the pin 60 and the rod 22 may be attached to the seat frame by the pin 62 and the intermediate frame 16. When thus installed, the seat back frame 14 may be pivoted in either direction by moving the lever 50 against the discs 24 to move the discs 24 from the canted position shown in FIGURE 4 where they are in frictional gripping engagement with the rod 22 to the non-canted position illustrated in FIGURE 5. When the control discs 24 are in the non-canted position illustrated in FIGURE 5, the rod 22 is free to move into or out of the housing 20. In the event that seat back frame 14 is in a reclined position and it is desired to move it toward the upright position, an individual merely places a force upon the seat back frame 14 to urge the rod 22 into the housing 20 which in turn moves the discs 24 from the canted position of FIGURE 4 to the non-canted position of FIG- URE 5 against the biasing action of the spring 34. Since the sleeve means 28 is only allowed to move axially relative to the rod 22, i.e., sleeve means 28 cannot cant relative to the rod 22, the sleeve means 28 moves upwardly as the rod 22 is forced into the housing 20. In such a manner, the seat back frame may be pivoted toward the upright position without manually actuating the positioning mechanism.

The invention has been described in an illustrative manner and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A positioning mechanism comprising: first and second members adapted for linear movement in opposite directions relative to one another, friction means operatively engaging said first member and movable to a first position in frictional engagement with said second member for preventing said relative movement and to a second position for allowing said relative movement, sleeve means disposed in sliding engagement with said second member so that said sleeve means is movable solely in a linear direction relative to said second member and is in engagement with said friction means, and biasing means operatively connected to said second member and reacting against said sleeve means for urging said friction means into said first position and for allowing said friction means to move to said second position whereby said members may move relative to one another in a first direction in response to a predetermined force being applied to said members.

2. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said friction means comprises a plurality of discs and said second member comprises a rod which passes through said discs, said sleeve means being disposed about said rod for only axial sliding movement therealong.

3. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sleeve means is keyed to said first member so that said sleeve means is prevented from rotating relative thereto about the axis of said rod and is free to move relative to said first member in a direction axially of said rod.

4. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 3 in combination with a seat assembly comprising a seat frame, a seat back frame, means pivotally connecting said seat back frame to said seat frame for allowing said seat back frame to pivot relative to said seat frame between an upright position and various reclined positions, said first member being pivotally connected to one of said frames and said rod being pivotally connected at a first end thereof to the other of said frames for controlling the pivotal movement of said seat back frame relative to said seat frame.

5. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein said first member comprises a housing, said rod being slidably disposed in said housing with said first end thereof extending from said housing, said discs being in engagement with said housing on one side of said rod and in engagement with said sleeve means on the opposite side of said rod so that said discs are canted relative to the longitudinal axis of said rod when in said first position.

6. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 5 wherein said housing includes stop means for limiting movement of said discs relative to said housing on said one side of said rod to move said discs from said first position to said second position when said rod is urged to move into said housing in response to said predetermined force, thereby allowing said rod to move into said housing until said force is removed whereby said discs return to said first position.

7. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 6 including control means pivotally mounted on said housing and engageable with said discs for selectively moving said discs from said first position to said second position whereby said rod may move in either direction relative to said housing.

8. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 7 wherein said sleeve means includes a planar surface which is disposed at an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of 5 said rod and engages said discs on said other side of said rod.

9. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 8 including a retaining means disposed on the second end of said rod, said biasing means comprising at least one spring disposed about said rod and reacting between said retaining means and said sleeve means.

10. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 9 wherein said control means includes a lever pivotally connected to said housing and extending through an opening in said housing to selectively engage said discs.

11. A positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 10 in combination with a seat assembly comprising a seat frame, a seat back frame, means pivotally connecting said seat back frame to said seat frame for allowing said seat back frame to pivot between an upright position and various reclined positions, said rod being pivotally connected to one of said frames at said first end thereof and said hous ing being pivotally connected to the other of said frames for controlling the pivotal movement of said seat back frame relative to said seat frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BOBBIE R. GAY, Primary Examiner. G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

